From 1408 to 1966, tombs of South Korea's royalty were placed in 18 spots of "outstanding natural beauty," mostly in and around the capital, Seoul (above, an undated bird's-eye view of one of the tombs in Seoul).

In June 2009, the World Heritage committee selected the tombs for a new cultural site because of their meticulous preservation over the kingdom's 519-year reign, the Korea Times reported.